Quentin Tarantino, the Hollywood director, launched into a furious rant at
Channel Four News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy after refusing to answer
questions about violence in his latest film Django Unchained.

In an extraordinary promotional interview yesterday, the 49 year-old “erupted” after being asked on his views on violent films and why he enjoyed making them.

During the furious “tantrumtino”, the Pulp Fiction director, who was in Britain for the premiere of his new violent spaghetti revenge drama last night, claimed he was not the news presenter’s “slave”, “master” or “monkey”.

He threatened the stunned presenter, who remained calm during the entire eight and half minute interview, that he was “shutting your butt down” after he refused to stop asking “tough” questions on the topic. His battle with the presenter appears roughly four minutes into the clip.

He admitted that he would only answer questions from the journalist, who confessed to being a fan of the director’s work, to “sell” his Western film because “this is a commercial for the movie – make no mistake”.

The clearly flustered film maker, who became more heated as the interview progressed, further complained that his Oscar-nominated movie was “good cinema”, was “not real life” and was instead “fantasy”. It also contained “cathartic violence”.

The man behind other violent classics “Reservoir Dogs”, “Kill Bill” and “Inglorious Basterds” became enraged when asked why he is so adamant violence in movies was not to blame for real-life killings.

He denied there was a “relationship” with violence in movies to tragic events that occur in real life.

His latest film, which features Tarantino's trademark style of extensive graphic and bloody violence, along with dark humour, was released just days after the Newtown school massacre, in which 20 children were killed in Connecticut.

Its world premiere was cancelled in the wake of the school shooting, which occurred just days earlier.

He has launched attacks on his critics who blame violence blockbusters such as his for the massacres, insisting such comments are disrespectful to the victims.

Yesterday, Tarantino, who did not walk out of the interview, insisted he did not have to take “any responsibility to you to explain anything I don’t want to”.

Asked why he believed there is no link between movie violence and shooting massacres, he shouted: "It's none of your damn business what I think about that.

“I'm saying no, and I'm shutting you down... I don't have any responsibility to you to explain anything I don't want to...

"I've explained this many times in 20 years but I just refuse to repeat myself over and over again because you want me to - for you and your show and your ratings.”

He added: “I’m going to tell you why I’m so sure? Don’t ask me a question like that – I’m not biting. I refuse your question.

“I refuse your question. I’m not your slave and you’re not my master. You can’t make me dance to your tune. I'm not a monkey.

“I don’t want to talk about what you want to talk about. I don’t want to talk about the implications of violence. I haven’t wanted… because… The reason I don’t want to talk about it: because I’ve said everything I have to say about it.”

He continued: “I have explained this many times in the last 20 years. I just refuse to repeat myself over and over again because you want me to for you and your show. And your ratings.

“I invite you to explore some serious themes but not things I’ve already been on the record talking about.”

After the interview was aired last night, he told a visibly shocked co-presenter Jon Snow that his rear was “in tact”.

Guru-Murthy, 42, later told The Daily Telegraph: “I was surprised about his reaction to the questions, which were very gentle. I love a lot of his work – I wasn't looking for a fight.

“I would have thought if you invite somebody to interview you it is better to try to answer the questions rather than not.

“No interviewee has ever said "I'm not your slave...I'm not a monkey" to me before.”

He said that the programme had not heard any feedback from the film’s producers since the interview went to air.

“It was fine afterwards - I was pretty surprised to be honest,” he said.

“The director was happy to talk about slavery as an issue, the debate on slavery now going on in America, he says thanks to him. He will even accept that he enjoys what he calls “cathartic violence” in movies.

“But is there a relationship between enjoying movie violence and enjoying real violence? Cathartic or not? That’s where he stops – or “refuses”.

Yesterday it was announced that the movie is up for five Oscars including best original screenplay and best film.

This week it has also won five Bafta, including best director, and the same number of Golden Globe nominations.

At the film's London premiere in Leicester Square last night, he told reporters: "It's been a good week. Five Oscar nominations today, five Bafta nominations yesterday."

Christoph Waltz is nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Dr King Schultz in the film but Tarantino missed out on a nomination for best director.

The film tells the story of a bounty hunter (Waltz) who frees a slave (Jamie Foxx) and partners up with him to liberate his wife (Kerry Washington) from the hands of a fearsome plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio).

The film has kicked up a fierce row in the United States, where African-American director Lee said he would not be watching because it would be "disrespectful to my ancestors".

The title of his latest film is a direct reference to Corbucci's "Django" from 1966 and the lead actor of that film, Franco Nero, plays a cameo role.

Django Unchained opens in cinemas on January 18.

THE FULL "SHUTTING YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE" EXCHANGE (begins at 4.20 in the video above)

Krishnan Guru-Murthy (KGM): Let me ask you about violence. You said, you know, everyone knows you make violent movies, you like violent movies. Why do you like making violent movies?

Quentin Tarantino (QT): Erm… I don’t know. It’s like asking Judd Apatow: “Why do you like making comedies?”

KGM: You just get a kick out of it? Or you just enjoy it? Or…

QT: It’s… It’s… It’s a… I think… I think it’s good cinema. I consider it good cinema. You know, it’s… You sit there in a movie theatre when these cathartic, violent scenes happen… I’m talking about the cathartic violence scenes.

(…)

..Then there’s the cathartic violence of Django paying back blood for blood.

KGM: Is that why you think people like watching violent movies – people who are not violent people or twisted people in any way, but why it’s OK to go into a movie and enjoy the violence?

QT: Yeah, well, it’s a movie. It’s a fantasy. It’s a fantasy – it’s not real life. It’s a fantasy. You go and you watch. You know, you watch a kung-fu movie and one guy takes on 100 people in a restaurant. That’s fun!

KGM: But why are you so sure that there’s no link between enjoying movie violence and enjoying real violence?

QT: I don’t… I’m going to tell you why I’m so sure? Don’t ask me a question like that – I’m not biting. I refuse your question.

KGM: Why?

QT: Because I refuse your question. I’m not your slave and you’re not my master. You can’t make me dance to your tune. I'm not a monkey.

KGM: I can’t make you answer anything. I’m asking you interesting questions.

QT: And I’m saying… and I’m saying I refuse.

KGM: OK. I was just asking you why. That’s fine. But you see, Jamie Foxx has said: “We can’t turn our back and say that violence in films, that anything that we do…

QT: Then you should talk to Jamie Foxx about that. And I think he’s actually here, so you can!

KGM: I’d love to, but, I mean, you know… It’s interesting that you have a different view, and I’m just trying to explore that.

QT: And I don’t want to! ‘Cause I’m here to sell my movie. This is a commercial for the movie – make no mistake.

KGM: So you don’t want to talk about anything serious?

QT: I don’t want to talk about what you want to talk about. I don’t want to talk about the implications of violence. I haven’t wanted… because… The reason I don’t want to talk about it: because I’ve said everything I have to say about it.

If anyone cares what I have to say about it, they can Google me and they can look for 20 years what I have to say. But I haven’t changed my opinion one iota.

KGM: No, but you haven’t fleshed it out.

QT: It’s not my job to flesh it out.

KGM: No, it’s my job to try and ask you to.

QT: And I’m shutting your butt down!

KGM: That’s entirely your… that’s entirely your right.

QT: This is a commercial for my movie.

KGM: No, but it’s my job to try and explore some serious themes as well.

QT: Well, I… I invite you to explore some serious themes, but not things that I haven’t already been on the record for talking about.

KGM: Well, violence is such a big part of all of your movies, and it’s, you know, it’s an enjoyable part of your movies for so many people.

And that’s why I’m talking about this, because, as you know, it’s a very sensitive time at the moment. I mean, the vice-president is talking to people in the movie industry today about violence in response to…

QT: And you know where I stand on it.

KGM: Which is that there’s no relationship.

QT: Yes.

KGM: But you haven’t said why you think there’s no relationship.

QT: It’s none of your damn business what I think about that!

KGM: Well, it’s my job to ask you why you think that because…

QT: And I’m saying no! And I’m shutting you down.

KGM: But you have a responsibility as a filmmaker, surely, to explain a little bit about…

QT: No, I don’t have any responsibility to you to explain anything I don’t want to.

KGM: Not to me but to your viewers, to your fans. You know, to people who care about what it is that you’re doing.

QT: They know, they know where I’m coming from. And I have explained it. And I have explained even what you’re talking about. I’m just not giving it to you.

KGM: Why?

QT: Because I don’t want to because I’ve done it already.

I have explained this many times in the last 20 years. I just refuse to repeat myself over and over again because you want me to for you and your show. And your ratings.

KGM: Well, no, it’s not about our ratings. It’s…

QT: No, no, it is. It’s about you want me to say it for you, for your show – this show, right here, right now.

KGM: Well, look, this is a news programme, it’s not a film programme, so we explore serious themes. That’s the difference.

QT: Exactly. But you want me to do what I’ve already done before and I am refusing.